An overnight jailbreak at a prison in Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi allowed 216 inmates to escape after tremors from an earthquake prompted officials to move prisoners out of their cells, authorities said Tuesday.
Police said 78 of the escaped inmates from Malir prison had been recaptured, while at least 130 remain at large. Raids are underway to apprehend the remaining fugitives, officials added.
The mass escape occurred after inmates were temporarily relocated for safety during the quake. While outside their cells, a group of prisoners reportedly overpowered guards, seized their weapons, and opened fire, said Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, the home minister for Sindh province. He described the jailbreak as one of the largest in Pakistan’s history during a televised statement.
One prisoner was killed, and three security personnel were wounded in a shootout as authorities attempted to detain one of the escapees, officials said.
Senior police officer Kashif Abbasi confirmed to the Associated Press that none of the escaped prisoners were convicted militants.
Prison breaks are rare in Pakistan, where security measures have been tightened in recent years following a 2013 Taliban-led attack on a jail in Dera Ismail Khan that freed hundreds of inmates.
Authorities have launched a full investigation into the incident and are reviewing prison protocols in the wake of the security lapse.